Device for conveying folded or non-folded paper sheets



R. HEPP April 15, 1958 DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FOLDEDOR NON-FOLDED PAPER SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1954 April 15, 1958 R. HEPP 2,830,813

DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FOLDED 0R NON-FOLDED PAPER SHEETS Filed Nov. 5, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor R. HEPP April 15, 1958 DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FOLDED OR NON-FOLDED PAPER SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 5. 1954 Inventor April 15, 1958 R. HEPP 2,830,813

DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FOLDED OR NON-FOLDED PAPER SHEETS Filed Nov. 5, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FOLDED OR 1 NON-FOLDED PAPER SHEETS Rudolf Hepp, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany Application November 5, 1954, Serial No. 467,137

14 Claims. (Cl. 271-29) The present invention relates to a device for conveying folded or unfolded paper sheets from a supply stack to a device serving for-further processing of the sheets, using a rotating stack carrier for that purpose.

..It is the object of the present invention to provide effective, safe. and simple means which permit the feeding of the paper sheets in reversed position and in con-' tinuous operation.

According to the invention, a gripper member is arranged at the circumference of the stack carrier, which seizes and holds the leading edge of a sheet of paper until a catch on the rotating carrier takes along the sheet which has been turned over in the meantime. As a consequence, the leading edge of the sheet will then be the trailing edge and vice versa. with reference to the direction of travel.

Reversing means are known which use rocking elements or a rotating winged member or other reversing means which grip the sheets and turn them over. How ever, these arrangements have the disadvantage that a separate reversing means is required in addition to the feeding means. It is obvious that it is an improvement to provide a device which combines the turning over of the sheet with the forward feed thereof. As soon as the catch releases the sheet, after reversal of the same, it may be carried along by known conveyor means of any desired kind.

When' it is required to accurately align and securely hold down the sheets during their further transportation, gripping members may be provided which push the sheets over a support, and brushes or the like yielding elements may be arranged for pressing the sheets against the same. Thus, the travelling sheets are well aligned and held down on the supports.

It is advantageous 'to arrange the yielding elements, such as brushes, at an acute angle with respect to the supporting surface, since this will prevent an occasional sliding back of the sheets.

It may be desirable to make the pressure of the yielding elements and thereby the friction of the same on the sheets adjustable during operation. Another feature of the device according to the invention is to provide means for pivoting the yielding elements so that operational disturbances can be easily eliminated;

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings- Fig. 1 shows a side view of the device with the carrier member in cross section,

Fig. 2 shows on an enlarged scale a portion of the carrier member according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 2a shows. likewise on an enlarged scale, a detail of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows a detail according to Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a view according to Fig. 1, partially in cross section, showing the arrangement of the catch members,

'ice

Fig. 5 is an enlarged showing of a partial section through the stripping means according to Fig. l, and

Fig. 5a is a top view of the stripping means according to Fig. 5, shown on a reduced scale.

According to Fig. l a supply stack 1 of folded or unfolded paper sheets rests on a rotating carrier member 2 which substantially consists of supporting rollers 3 and suction rollers 4. The rollers rotate around a common axis 5. Adjustable stops 6 and 7 support the paper sheets so that they maintain their desired position on the carrier member 2 which rotates in the direction of the arrow. The edge of the bottom paper sheet is seized by the suc tion roller 4 and transferred to a stationary gripping means 8, more particularly at the moment when the edge of the paper, after rotation of the suction roller 4, appears at the circumference of the rotating carrier member 2. The suction rollers 4 and the supporting rollers 3 rotate "in the directions shown by arrows.

The gripping means 8 which will be described more fully "hereinafter holds the edge of the sheet until the sheet has been reversed by the elements provided therefor on the carrier member 2. The sheet then lies between the rotating carrier member 2 on the one side and a set of brushes 20, on the other.

The gripping means 9 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, which may also consist of sucking elements, stationary brushes or the like, is mounted in the embodiment shown on a shaft 10 which is moved to and fro on the rotating carrier member 2a round the axis by means of a roll 11 supported by roller bearings and actuated by a cam 12. When the gripping means 9 seizes the respective sheet, it presses it against a yielding element, such as a bolt 13 which is resiliently supported by means of a spring 14. The distance between the spring bolt 13 and the gripping means 9 can be adjusted, while the device is in operation, by counter nuts 15. Thus it is possible to adjust the gripping means for various thicknesses of the paper sheets.

As mentioned above, the gripping means 9 is actuated by the rotating cam 12 (Fig. 3). When the position 12a is reached, the device is opened and the sheet which now lies between the rotating carrier member 2 and a set of brushes consisting of adjacent bristle bundles (Fig. 1 and Fig. 4) is seized by a hook-like catch 16 and conveyed at the circumferential speed of the rotating carrier member 2. The catch 16 rotates with the rotating carrier member 2, since it is supported by the latter by means of a shaft 17. Shaft 17 is rocked to and fro by a roll 18 which in turn is actuated by a cam 19 (Fig. 4). Thereby, catch 16 can be turned into the rotating carrier memher 2 when passing underneath the supply stack 1.

While the sheet is carried along by means of catch 16, the sheet is held and guided by a set of brushes 20 which by their resistance align the sheet against the catch 16. Advantageously, these brushes 20 are set at an acute angle to the path of travel (Figs. 2 and 2a) and are adjustable, also during operation, by means of an adjusting device 21, i. e. the brush portions lying opposite the adjusting device are shifted. In this way, the pressure of the brushes 20 against the sheet may be varied at will. Springs 22 provide for resilient suspension.

For detaching the sheet from the rotating carrier member 2 a stripping means (Figs. 5, 5a and l) is provided. The stripper is designated by 23; if necessary it may be extended by an attachable member 24. For better illustration, both parts are hatched in Fig. 5. The length of the attachable member depends on the size of the paper sheets to be handled. In the embodiment here illustrated. the stripping means is yieldingly supported and controlled by a spring 27a. However, this arrangement is optional.

The strippers 23 are mounted on a tubular member 25 which is supported pivotally by a shaft 26. By moving the resilient handle 27 in direction of the arrow, the stripping means may be swung outwardly; this enables the operator to remove eventual obstructions in operation (such as paper being interposed between stripper and carrier member or the like). A stop 27b enables the operator to carry out the necessary adjustment of the stripping means.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for conveying folded or unfolded sheets of paper from a supply stack to further processing devices, comprising in combination a frame, a rotating carrier member with supporting rollers for said stack of paper and suction rollers for feeding a sheet of paper at a time from said stack, means for rotating said carrier member in one direction and means for driving the suction rollers in opposite direction, said carrier member having a circumference and gripping means mounted thereon, catch means for taking hold of said paper, likewise arranged on said carrier member, said suction rollers having a surface capable of seizing the edge of a sheet transported from the stack, which edge is with respect to the sense of rotation of the carrier the trailing edge, and feeding it to said gripping means, elements on said gripping means which hold the edge of the paper sheet so as to reverse the position of said sheet on further travel, a.set of brushes mounted opposite said rollers on the carrier member for cooperation therewith in feeding said sheet of paper, which is flattened under the action of the feed rollers, the supporting rollers and the brush set until said catch means take charge of the paper sheet for further transportation thereof.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein there are cam means to control said gripping means.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said gripping means comprise a stationary member and a pivoted member mounted opposite thereto for cooperation therewith.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein a spring is provided for controlling the stationary gripping means to exert an adjustable pressure onto said sheet of paper and to allow automatical adjustment to the thickness of 'a sheet to be gripped.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein a shaft mounted in the frame of the device is provided for supporting said pivotable gripping means, and a roller is provided as a support for said cam which controls the movement of said gripping means.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said catch is adapted to serve as an aligning means for the sheet to be gripped and transported for further processing.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the catch is hook-shaped and wherein a stationary cam is provided for pushing the catch during its travel with the rotating carrier from an olf position into operative position and vice versa.

8. A device according to claim 1, comprising in addition to the stationary gripping means, stationary stripping means, and a set of holding means therebetween which contributes for holding a traveling sheet in position against said supporting rollers.

9. A'device according to claim 8, wherein said holding means consist of brushes arranged under an acute angle on a supporting member in the direction of paper feed.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein means are provided for pressing said brushes onto the paper includving adjusting means for the control of pressure.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein means are provided for lifting the brushes from the work in order to make accessible the rotating carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025,527 Schramm Dec. 24, 1935 2,279,269 Tornberg Apr. 7, 1942 2,279,270 Tornberg Apr. 7, 1942 2,425,936 Hepp Aug. 19, 1947 

